'Can be dangerous': Barack Obama joins AI warning chorus, says 'moving very fast in private hands'

Barack Obama urged House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries to take a leading role in driving public discussions around AI policy if Democrats win control of the House in the November 3 midterm elections.

Former US President Barack Obama is the latest to join the chorus of warnings against the rapid rise of artificial intelligence, saying that the technology could be 'dangerous' if not properly managed. "This is something that is moving very fast in private hands, and if we don't get on top of it, I think it can be dangerous," Obama was quoted as saying by the New York Times.

Obama also urged the Democrats to frame policy and governance agendas to tackle the issue.

The remarks from the Democratic leader came on the heels of warnings from two Anthropic leaders about the potential risks associated with AI.

Obama urges Democrats to frame AI policy

According to a partial transcript of the remarks cited by the paper, Obama urged House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries to take a leading role in driving public discussions around AI policy if Democrats win control of the House in the November 3 midterm elections.

Obama reportedly told Jeffries, “Once you are Speaker, I would strongly urge that the Democrats put together a framework for a very public conversation.”

The former president also stressed the need for AI to become a major issue in the 2028 presidential campaign. He called on candidates seeking the Democratic nomination to present a clear strategy addressing the technology's potential safety risks as well as its economic impact, the paper reported.

Tech leaders raise concerns over AI development

The political debate comes as several leading figures in the technology industry have renewed their warnings about the pace at which advanced AI systems are being developed.

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and Elon Musk later backed Amodei's call for greater caution. Altman noted that the possibility of slowing AI development was already being seriously discussed at OpenAI.

Kanishka Singharia